How To Become A Bicycle Mechanic?

A bike mechanic’s job is one of constant learning and self-improvement. Other than repair work, they may also help customers choose a bike that suits their needs. Most of the time, you’ll see a bike mechanic working in a bicycle shop or a repair shop of their own based on their skills.

A good mechanic must have not only hard skills but also some soft skills. Many ways can lead you to grow your skills as a mechanic, and we will discuss them below.

How To Become A Bicycle Mechanic?

 

While the job of a bike mechanic requires a lot of technical knowledge, you’ll always have a greater chance of landing an appointment if you have a degree under your belt. Also, there are a lot of myths regarding the trade, and attending a school will ensure that you know the right ways of doing things.

To start as a bike mechanic, you must have some experience with repairs and some retail work, as a job in a bike shop may have you working the sales floor or customer service along with repairing bikes.

Here are some ways in which you can become a bicycle mechanic:

Take an Online Course on Repairing Bikes

There are all sorts of courses on bicycle repair. You can always find new stuff to learn, whether you are a beginner or a veteran. Taking repairing courses will enhance your knowledge and certify your skillset. The certification will be extremely handy when applying for a job or launching your service.

Attend Bike Mechanic School

If you want to learn all these in person, you can look for bike repair schools in the US. For example, the United Bicycle Institute is famous for offering short- and long-term courses that can teach you about bicycle repair from theoretical and practical standpoints.

Attend Community College

Some community colleges also offer intensive bike repair programs. These courses teach you various things, such as tuning, assembling, and even professional bike repair.

Earn Experience Through Work

One of the best ways of becoming a bike mechanic is by learning through working. You can work under experienced mechanics to learn the trade. However, this will take a lot of time, and the chances of being accepted as interns aren’t that high. It’ll mostly depend on your persuasion skills.

That said, you’ll still require a degree to establish yourself as a highly-skilled bicycle mechanic. We recommend getting the degree first and applying for an internship next. This will increase the chances of landing the internship and help you start your service in the future.

Bicycle Mechanic School Near Me

State School Name URL Address Short Description

 

Alabama Redemptive Cycles About (redemptivecycles.com) 1305 2nd Ave N

Birmingham, AL 35203

It offers different bike repair courses and dedicated courses for teaching the fundamental mechanics of bicycles.
Alaska Susitna Bicycle Institute Susitna Bicycle Institute – A bike school for the community. 144 E Potter Dr Unit A, Anchorage, AK 99518, United States This institution kicked off in 2017 and taught how to fix bikes and repair discarded bikes to give them a usable form.
Arizona Global Bikes Classes, Clinics & Rides – Arizona’s go-to Trek Dealer | Chandler, Gilbert, Ahwatukee, Mesa Bike Shop Locations | E-Bikes (globalbikes.info) Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Ahwatukee The Global Bikes institute offers a range of workshops for both old and new riders and teaches the fundamentals of bike repair.
Arkansas NWACC Bicycle Assembly & Repair Technician Program | NorthWest Arkansas Community College (nwacc.edu) 1 College Dr. , Bentonville, AR, United States, Arkansas This school offers beginner, intermediate, as well as advanced courses for children as well as adults.
California BikeTeacher Bike Teacher BIke Teacher Home Page BIKE TEACHER, 923 PINE AVE, SAN JOSE, CA, 95125, UNITED STATES It’s an indie bike mechanic school and offers advanced courses and certifications.

 

Bicycle Mechanic Certification

When it comes to repairing bikes, experience is the winner. While bicycle mechanic certifications will help you gain some level of knowledge, expect to learn most things through hard work.

While bike mechanic certifications won’t teach you as much, they will still be necessary for your career. So, even if you feel that you know about stuff, you can always complete a course on it. This will help you earn a certification that’ll further bolster your portfolio.

One thing to note is that there are all kinds of bicycle mechanic schools, and not all of them are good. So, it’s essential to find quality courses among them.

How Do You Improve Yourself As A Bicycle Mechanic?

As is the case with most technical jobs, bike mechanic only gets better the longer they work and the more different things they encounter daily.

A much-recommended tip is to look for certification and qualifications. Though not necessary to become a bike mechanic, being certified gains you credibility. It also helps if you are unable to work in an apprenticeship. There are many courses designed for beginners and professionals alike.

With the rising trend in technology improvement, many manufacturers run seminars and courses for amateurs and professionals in their classrooms or the field.
There’s also gaining experience in the field. Getting acquainted with the local racing scene by providing voluntary services is a great way to gain knowledge of different bikes and building overall. In addition, it can often lead to professional teams hiring you to work for them.

Job Of A Bike Mechanic

As a mechanic, you will be expected to do various tasks. These have been listed below in detail.

Building A Bike

Sometimes, rather than purchasing a bike outright, a customer may want a bike built to their specifications, perhaps for a specific task. Experienced mechanics are often tasked with these jobs, as it takes a lot of skill to be able to build a bike from scratch.

Bike Diagnostics And Repair

Other than selling bicycles, a bike shop’s bread and butter are servicing damaged bikes. These jobs differ from bike to bike, and each problem has different skill levels when it comes to solving them.

A beginner may be given a simple repair, such as a flat tire. An experienced mechanic must also find out a bicycle’s problems before attempting the repair.

Cleaning And Lubrication

During repair and servicing, bikes are often cleaned to the point where grease is removed from important locations. Lubrication is essential if a bicycle is to run smoothly. An apprentice or an experienced mechanic may do either of these tasks.

Customer Service

Repairs aren’t only conducted at bike shops and in sales, whether refurbished or brand-new bikes. A mechanic often helps a customer find a bicycle that is correct for them.

Inventory Management

A mechanic must know what’s in their shop. So they must keep track of available parts and know when to order new parts.

Attending events to provide technical support: One of the ways to progress further as a bike mechanic is to participate in the local racing scene. Aiding with and providing repairs can lead to becoming a pro mechanic who works in professional racing teams.

What Can Bicycle Mechanic Courses Offer You?

For the most part, a bike mechanic course is a guided class on the repair and maintenance of a bike, but it can offer much more. The first thing that a course gives you is confidence. By providing learning materials and expert instructors, students can learn a great deal about tools, the inner workings of bike parts, complicated repairs, and the like.

From a beginner’s course to an advanced learning course partnered with a parts manufacturer, there is a learning course for differently skilled mechanics.

As said above, the beginner’s course teaches the basics of maintenance and repair, made for enthusiasts and career-minded mechanics alike. Advanced courses are geared towards those seeking a career as a bicycle mechanic.

Not only are advanced topics covered, but they also prepare the students to work in a bike shop. In addition, mechanic courses from some schools offer industry certification.

To be able to repair newer bicycles and service newer parts, a continuation course is also offered. Sometimes, parts brands partner with these schools and have seminars and classes on specific parts. Completion can lead to being a certified technician for brand-specific parts.

What Is It Like To Work As A Bike Mechanic?

Most of the time, a bike mechanic works in a bike shop with other people who share a passion for bikes, and most of the time, the customers are also enthusiasts.

This can lead to a very relaxed work environment with friendly coworkers and customers. In addition, working with passionate coworkers improves overall work satisfaction.

Becoming a Bicycle Mechanic in Different Countries

Most of the article describes how you may become a successful bike mechanic in the US. Most of the above information can be applied to countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia, with minor differences.

How To Become A Bike Mechanic In The UK

The UK requires that you have completed your IGCSEs. It’s similar to having a high school graduation certificate in the US.So it’s not only imperative if you want to work in a bicycle shop and if you want to seek further education to earn certification.

How To Become A Bike Mechanic In Australia

Australia requires that you have completed year 10 to be able to enter the field of bicycle repair and maintenance. Alternatively, you can also attend TAFE before you start working in a bike shop.

How To Become A Bike Mechanic In Canada

Finally, in Canada, obtaining your high school diploma is enough to get your foot into the door of most bike shops and learning courses for career-based learning.

Conclusion

Though a blue-collar job, a bicycle mechanic is someone who is not only passionate about their work but also one that is constantly learning and improving with the advent of newer and newer technologies. The pay may not be glamorous, but the work sure is satisfying.

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